Carthage’s Rettler Named to CSC Academic All-America Softball Team

| By: Lexie Vernon, CCIW Executive Director, lvernon@cciw.org
NAPERVILLE, Ill. - Carthage College senior outfielder Clare Rettler has been named to the 2026 College Sports Communicators Academic All-America® NCAA Division III Softball Second Team, CSC announced Tuesday.

Rettler, a senior from Appleton, Wisconsin, is the only College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin student-athlete selected to the 2026 CSC Academic All-America® Softball Teams. She was one of 33 NCAA Division III softball student-athletes recognized nationally across the first, second and third teams.

Rettler earned Second Team honors as an outfielder after compiling a 3.96 grade-point average while studying exercise & sport science and psychology at Carthage.

The Academic All-America® honor adds another national distinction to one of the most decorated careers in CCIW softball history. Rettler was named the CCIW Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year for the third consecutive season in 2026, becoming the first student-athlete in league history to win the same CCIW Student-Athlete of the Year award in three straight seasons.

During the 2026 conference season, Rettler led the CCIW with a .600 batting average and 30 hits. She also set a single-season conference record with 26 stolen bases in 16 CCIW games, helping anchor the Carthage lineup as one of the top offensive players in NCAA Division III.

Rettler was also named to the All-CCIW First Team in 2026, continuing a run of conference and national recognition throughout her Firebirds career. She was previously selected as the CCIW Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year in 2024 and 2025 and has earned multiple NFCA All-America honors during her time at Carthage.
About CSC Academic All-America® Program 

The CSC Academic All-America® program recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances in competition and in the classroom. Student-athletes must be selected as Academic All-District® honorees before advancing to the national Academic All-America® ballot.

Virginia Wesleyan pitcher Emma Adams was named the 2026 CSC Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year for NCAA Division III softball. Five of the 33 Division III honorees carried a perfect 4.0 GPA, while the 11 first-team selections had an average GPA of 3.91. The full Division III Academic All-America® Team held a collective 3.85 GPA.
 
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The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) was founded in 1946 and currently services nine member institutions including Augustana College (Rock Island, Ill.), Carroll University (Waukesha, Wis.), Carthage College (Kenosha, Wis.), Elmhurst University (Elmhurst, Ill.), Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, Ill.), Millikin University (Decatur, Ill.), North Central College (Naperville, Ill.), North Park University (Chicago, Ill.) and Wheaton College (Wheaton, Ill.).

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